Vol. 434 No. 9
97 Ms McManus asked the Minister for the Environment if he will give details of the submission he made to the Northern Ireland Department of the Environment regarding a proposed gold mining operation near Omagh, County Tyrone, which proposes to drain into the Foyle River system, which is a common system shared by Northern Ireland and the Republic; the response, if any, he has received; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland consulted my Department, pursuant to Article 7 of the EC Directive on Environmental Impact Assessment, about an application for planning permission for an opencast gold and silver mine near Omagh, Co. Tyrone. Comments sent to the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland, following consultation with relevant Government Departments and local authorities, indicated that all necessary steps should be taken to ensure that any discharges to water from the mine do not lead to a disimprovement of the quality of the receiving waters and that a detailed programme of monitoring and sampling would be essential if the project is approved. Particular emphasis was placed on the need to ensure that water quality in the Owenreagh River, an established salmonoid river forming part of the Foyle system, remains within the parameters of EC Directive 78/659. I understand that these comments have been referred to the Northern Ireland Planning Appeals Commission, which is examining the planning application and will, following completion of a public local inquiry, make recommendations to the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland.
